Adventure Aquarium Introduces New Critically Endangered Species

CAMDEN, N.J. (July 14, 2023) – This morning, the animal care team at Adventure Aquarium introduced their newest resident, a male bottlenose wedgefish named Pepper Jack, to the facility’s 760,000-gallon Ocean Realm exhibit. Pepper Jack was recently transferred to Camden from Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA. He has been in a behind-the-scenes acclimation area over the past several weeks as he has gotten used to his new home and the team responsible for his care.

At first glance, the bottlenose wedgefish looks much like a shark with its pointed dorsal fins and swimming style, but it is actually more similar to a ray. Like sharks, wedgefish are also sought out for their fins, which are a delicacy in many cultures. Because the fins of the wedgefish are considered to be one of the most valuable in the finning trade, these animals are hunted in excess, causing significant population declines. As of 2018, the bottlenose wedgefish is a critically endangered species, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), putting the species at high risk for extinction in their native range. The bottlenose wedgefish is most commonly found in the shallow waters of the Western Indian Ocean from South Africa to Oman and the Persian Gulf.

Guests can now see Pepper Jack at the Aquarium by checking out its Ocean Realm exhibit, home to three sea turtles, a great hammerhead shark, silky and Pacific black tip reef sharks, and dozens of rays and colorful fish species. Tickets are available for purchase NOW at AdventureAquarium.com.